1. CONSUMERS’ CHALLENGES IN THE SHARING ECONOMY
31th March 2016, Amaya Apesteguía
EESC Public Hearing
“The changing nature of employment relationships,
the sharing economy, zero-hour contracts and the living wage”

2. DOUBLE CONSUMPTION RELATIONSHIP IN THE SHARING ECONOMY
With the platform and with the other party (peer or business)
31th March 2016 01

3. HIGH CONSUMER SATISFACTION: 8/10
Results from a survey to 8,670 consumers in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain *Source: “Collaboration or Business?” OCU (2016)

4. MOTIVATIONS Main motivations:
Results from a survey to 8,670 consumers in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain *Source: “Collaboration or Business?” OCU (2016)
Main motivations:
1º) Save money
2º) Practical motivations (e.g. flexible hours, more comfort, better suited to my needs…)
3) Foster economic relationships between private persons
4) To share travel experiences /to get to know people
5) To help other people with products I no longer need
6) To get rid of things I no longer need
7) To place less burden on the environment
8) To earn money

5. Negative experiences:
Results from a survey to 8,670 consumers in Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain *Source: “Collaboration or Business?” OCU (2016)
Negative experiences:
Mainly small inconveniences (delays, plannification, cleanliness, lack of personal connection, offer not responding completely to the description on the website
Responses:
1º) to undertake no action (above 60%).
2º) try to come to an agreement (above 20%).
3º) Contacting the website to complain and writing a bad reference in the web profile of the other party.
4º ) Contact consumer authorities to deal with the problem. (less than 3%)
Need to improve effective mechanisms for redress:
tracking of conflict resolution + Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

6. FROM A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE:
CONSUMERIST:
Who is responsible
in case of conflict?
2) SOCIAL:
Do we risk to becoming “exploiters” of our fellow citizens?
BIG QUESTIONS
FROM A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE:

7. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE IN CASE OF CONFLICT?
The other party
If prosumer, civil legislation
If business, consumer’s legislation
Legislators should define the parameters that distinguish a private and a professional activity. Ideally, such a consensus should work at European level.
The platform
 Just an intermediate, or intervenes in the provision of the service?
 Just a marketplace, or is it an employer?
It is necessary to clarify platforms' roles and responsibilities: users deserve to have clear legislation that specifies responsibility when conflicts or problems occur.
31th March 2016

8. Crowd Social Responsibility
DO WE RISK TO BECOMING “EXPLOITERS”
OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS?
Maybe European citizens don’t need a lifetime employment, but they still need incomes and social security: health, education, social protection…
Consumers want to save money, but not at any cost.
Race to the bottom Vs
Crowd Social Responsibility 
As prosumers and freelancers continue to generate micro-incomes in the sharing economy, and as stable jobs are increasingly scarce, tax should be 'fair'.
In this sense, we suggest that taxes and social contributions should be calculated on an individual basis, according to their real income earned.
31th March 2016

9. THANK YOU! Amaya Apesteguía
Ethical and Collaborative consumption